Source: mystateline.com 3/17/25 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WTVO) — A new bill proposed in Illinois would reduce the distance convicted sex offenders are required to observe when living near schools. Senate Bill 2254, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Kimberly Lightford (D-Chicago), would reduce the distance sex offenders are required to stay from schools and playgrounds from 500 feet to 250 feet. Read the full article [Action alert for Illinois registrants and supporters: Call, write, and show up as soon as possible to support this bill to increase housing choices for registrants]
Read MoreYear: 2025
UK: Man confronted by paedophile hunters found dead on M4 motorway after falling from height and then being struck by cars
Source: thesun.co.uk 3/24/25 The married man had been arrested and released by cops the following day A MAN confronted by online paedophile hunters was found dead on a motorway, an inquest heard. Adrian Smith, 48, featured in a livestream by self-proclaimed “child protection service” groups on the evening of February 21. Avon and Somerset Police arrested the married man that night and released him from custody the following day. Avon Coroners’ Court heard Mr Smith’s body was discovered under a bridge between junction 20 and 21 of the M4 motorway at…
Read MoreWI: Possession of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery may be protected by First Amendment in some cases, judge rules
Source: nbcnews.com 3/18/25 In February, a district judge tossed out a charge against a Wisconsin man of possession of the obscene material but allowed other charges to move forward Federal prosecutors are appealing a federal judge’s ruling in Wisconsin that possessing child sexual abuse material created by artificial intelligence is in some situations protected by the Constitution. The order and the subsequent appeal could have major implications for the future legal treatment of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, or CSAM, which has been a top concern among child safety advocates…
Read MoreACSOL Online Meeting April 19, 2025
You are invited to join ACSOL Executive Director and civil rights attorney Janice Bellucci and an ACSOL board member for our next meeting. The meeting will be held on Saturday April 19 online on Zoom beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific time, 1:00 PM Eastern, and will last at least two hours. You can use the Zoom app or you can call in using a Zoom phone number. There is no registration needed for this meeting. No government officials are allowed to attend the meetings. This meeting will be recorded. Within…
Read MoreAR: Arkansas tightens sex offender registry with new legal definitions
Source: 5newsonline.com 3/21/25 Acts 361 and 362 clarify and add requirements to existing legislation to provide stronger protection for minors in sex offender cases. ARKANSAS, USA — According to the Child Welfare League of America, human trafficking is the second-largest criminal industry in the world. This week, lawmakers in Arkansas made progress to tackle the issue through legislation. On Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed into law two bills that prosecutors said would help put away sex offenders. Senator Missy Irvin of District 24 says, “There was a case whereupon…
Read MoreCA: CASOMB 3/20/25 Reports Increase in Petitions Files and Granted, Decrease in Persons Required to Register
The California Sex Offender Management Board (CASOMB) met this week and during that meeting, several agency reports were presented. The reports reflect increases both in the number of petitions filed (+359) and the number of petitions granted (+313) as well as a decrease of more than 1,000 in the total number of people required to register. Below is a chart listing those and other statistics presented during this week’s meeting. The next CASOMB meeting is scheduled for May 15, 2025, in Sacramento at 2590 Venture Oaks Way. The meeting time…
Read MoreIN: Government & Politics ‘Obscene performance’ ban added to child abuse bill, official misconduct expungements weighed
Source: indianacapitalchronicle.com 3/20/25 Rep. Chris Jeter declined to say whether his amendment was aimed at drag queen story times. Indiana lawmakers on Wednesday chose not to strip key provisions from legislation tightening handling of child sex abuse materials — yet — but did add a ban on any government-funded “obscene performance.” The House Committee on Courts and Criminal Code also moved a proposal allowing unelected officials convicted of official misconduct a path toward expungement. Senate Bill 326’s original purpose was replacing use of the phrase “child pornography” throughout Indiana Code with…
Read MoreApartheid’s shadow vs. America’s Stain: which country’s sex offender registry leads on human rights?
Source: Florida Action Committee 3/20/25 On one side we have the United States – the “land of the free”, “with liberty and justice for all” and the self-appointed global moral compass. On the other side we have South Africa, a nation historically scarred by apartheid, oppression and human rights violations. Which country is showing the world what real progress looks like? In this case, South Africa, is putting the U.S. to shame when it comes to respecting human rights and insight into effective criminal justice. Earlier this year South Africa…
Read MoreFL: Scammers target sex offenders in Steuben County with fake warrant claims
Source: newportdispatch.com 3/18/25 BATH — The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning about scammers impersonating law enforcement officials to extort money from registered sex offenders. Sheriff Jim Allard reports that scammers are contacting registered sex offenders claiming to be members of the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office. The fraudulent callers tell victims that arrest warrants have been issued due to missed DNA submissions. The scammers then demand payment through “non-traditional means” to have the supposed warrants vacated. Officials emphasize that the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office never solicits money from…
Read MoreJanice’s Journal: Shame on Idaho Legislators
It has been reported that legislators in the State of Idaho unanimously passed a bill this week that would allow the death penalty for adults who sexually abuse a child under the age of 12. ACSOL does not believe that the sexual abuse of a child is acceptable or should go unpunished. That is not the issue. Instead, the issue is whether killing a human being will help a child heal or prevent another child from being abused. The answer to that question is clearly no. It must be noted…
Read MoreID: Idaho House unanimously passes child sex abuse death penalty bill
Source: idahocapitalsun.com 3/17/25 As lawmakers anticipate court challenge, Idaho Republican House legislative leader says U.S. Supreme Court was wrong The Idaho House on Monday unanimously passed a bill to allow the death penalty for adults who sexually abuse children age 12 and younger in Idaho. Similar to his bill that stalled last year, House Bill 380, cosponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, would allow the death penalty in a new criminal charge the bill creates: aggravated lewd conduct with children age 12 and younger. Skaug’s bill also would add mandatory minimum prison…
Read MoreBangladesh: This is the first-ever sex offender public registry in Bangladesh
Source: thedailystar.net 3/9/25 A sex offender public registry has been launched in Bangladesh for the first time through the digital platform Shocheton.org. The initiative aims to increase awareness of sexual crimes and provide access to offender records. The platform allows individuals to report incidents of sexual offenses, offering an avenue for victims and witnesses to come forward while maintaining anonymity if preferred. A sex offender public registry is a database that records information about individuals convicted of sexual crimes. Such registries are used in several countries to track offenders, inform…
Read MoreNV: Nevada bills aim to expand sex offender registration and protect trafficking victims
Source: msn.com 3/15/25 Two new bills introduced in the Nevada Legislature aim to address issues related to sex offenses and prostitution, with a focus on expanding offender registration and protecting victims of sex trafficking. Assembly Bill 151, sponsored by northern Nevada assemblyman Ken Gray, seeks to broaden the scope of sex offender registration and community notification requirements. Under current law, individuals convicted of crimes against children, defined as offenses against victims under 18, are classified as Tier II offenders. The proposed legislation would classify customers convicted of soliciting a child…
Read MoreIL: Illinois Senate democrats push bill to ease residency rules for sex offenders
Source: prairiestatewire.com 3/14/25 Illinois Democratic state senators have proposed legislation that would reduce residency restrictions for registered child sex offenders, lowering the required distance they must maintain from schools and childcare facilities. Introduced by Sen. Kimberly A. Lightford and co-sponsored by Sens. Adriane Johnson and Mary Edly-Allen, Senate Bill 2254 seeks to amend the Criminal Code of 2012 and the state’s sex offender registration laws. Under the proposed changes, the restricted zone around schools and childcare institutions would shrink from 500 feet to 250 feet. Additionally, the bill removes day care homes…
Read MorePassport Applicants May Have To Affirm That They Are ‘Not Required To Register’ As Sex Offenders
Source: reason.com 3/14/25 The proposed State Department policy would add to the irrational burdens that registrants face. Under a proposed State Department policy, U.S. passport applicants would have to affirm that they are “not required to register” as sex offenders. If they are “required to register,” they would have to submit a “supplementary explanatory statement under oath.” The State Department says that change, which it announced in a Federal Register notice seeking public comment last month, is “in accordance with” the International Megan’s Law (IML), which requires “unique passport identifiers” for “covered sex offenders.” Although that 2016 law…
Read MoreThe ineffective registry: SOLPRC’s Policy Brief on Sex Offense Registration and Notification (SORN) Laws
Source: mitchellhamline.edu 3/1/25 The Sex Offense Litigation and Policy Resource Center has published a policy brief on Sex Offense Registration and Notification (SORN) Laws. Download the policy brief From the Executive Summary: The modern sex offense registry was borne out of the belief that a public registry listing people who had been convicted of a sex offense would make communities safer. That premise was wrong. We now have thirty years of data concluding that public registries do not work as intended—in fact, there is evidence that public registries actually increase registrant…
Read MoreTN: Tennessee lawmakers push for ‘Savanna’s Law’ to create domestic violence offender registry
Source: fox17.com 3/13/25 NASHVILLE, Tenn. WZTV) — Some Tennessee lawmakers say they are taking decisive action to combat repeat domestic violence offenders with the introduction of a new bill known as “Savanna’s Law.” The legislation proposes the creation of a publicly accessible registry for individuals convicted multiple times of domestic violence offenses, similar to existing sex offender registries. The bill, which has gained momentum among legislators, seeks to increase transparency and protect potential victims by making crucial information readily available to the public. Under the proposed legislation, the Tennessee Bureau of…
Read MoreTX: Stop Bill HB 3499 or Texas registrants will no longer receive property tax exemption
Source: capitol.texas.gov 2/27/25 Bill HB 3499 text: Relating to the eligibility of an individual to receive an exemption from ad valorem taxation of the individual’s residence homestead if the homestead is occupied by a registered sex offender. … “Sec. 11.136. RESIDENCE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION PROHIBITED FOR RESIDENCE OCCUPIED BY REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER. Notwithstanding Section 11.13, 11.131, 11.132, 11.133, or 11.134, an individual may not receive an exemption from taxation of all or a portion of the appraised value of the individual’s residence homestead under this subchapter in a tax year for…
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